


Speak Now

by lizandletdie



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Wedding, last minute confession of love, off-screen golden hearts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2015-06-26
Packaged: 2018-04-06 05:39:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,263
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4209999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizandletdie/pseuds/lizandletdie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's her best friend and it's his wedding day, but Belle has a last minute confession to make.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Speak Now

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a wedding prompts meme on Tumblr: “i know im supposed to be your best man/maid of honor, but maybe i should mention now that i’m in love with you” and “i’m a runaway bride/groom and you’re driving my getaway car”

Everyone knew Belle French was Mr. Gold’s only friend. Nobody was really sure why the two spent so much time together – before the announcement of his engagement to the widowed Mrs. Cora Mills (nee Greene) there had been some fairly nasty rumors that she paid her rent in trade, though only the cruelest of the town gossips (among them Mrs. Mills’ oldest daughter) did more than think it.

Once the engagement had been announced, though, those rumors had settled down quite a bit to the point that no one found it particularly scandalous or even interesting when Miss French ended up being selected as a groomswoman for the ceremony (standing with Mr. Gold’s adult son as the best man). It had simply been taken for granted she would be participating in some fashion and only the most conservative people would find fault in that arrangement.

The morning of the wedding was a beautiful day, though it was doubtful Cora would have settled for anything less, but it was less than an hour until the ceremony and Belle French was faced with a decision. She had a secret – she loved Chris Gold. She had loved him since the day she met him and she knew now she always would.

And in less than 45 minutes he would be marrying somebody else while she watched.

“I think I’m supposed to be the anxious one,” he teased as she twisted the pendant she wore around her neck. “You’re just supposed to stand there and look happy for me.”

He meant it as a joke and she smiled as she straightened her necklace out, but it still hurt. She’d been waiting for the right time to tell him her feelings for the past few years but it had never quite lined up right. She’d simply run out of time, and that was what was killing her. But he was her friend, and she had to be happy he was happy. He was happy, right?

Neal came in with a question about something and thank God that distracted Chris while they tried to figure out the catering or whatever it was that came up and she could look at him for a little while –  _really_  look at him. He looked older now, but no less handsome. His smiles weren’t reaching his eyes anymore, though, and that was her first clue that maybe it wasn’t too late after all.

She’d waited forever, and she promised herself if he was happy she’d back off and be the absolute best friend he could ever ask for.

 _Do the brave thing,_  she reminded herself as Chris finished his talk with Neal and watched his son leave the room.

“Chris?” she called out. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure,” he replied, fiddling with his cufflinks in the first sign of nerves she’d seen yet.

“Are you happy?”

“Why?”

“That’s not an answer,” she scolded.

“I just don’t know why you’re asking.”

“Just answer the question.”

“You first.”

“Because I love you,” she blurted out. “And it’s gonna get real awkward if I have to say it when they ask if there are any objections!”

\-----

Christopher Gold was completely frozen. She loved him. Belle French was standing there telling him she loved him.

Belle French, who he had pined after for over a year. Belle French, who ran storytime at the local library and charmed all the children. Belle French who was completely, totally, and utterly out of his league. That Belle French. The Belle French who was definitely not the woman he was supposed to be marrying in less than an hour.

Oh God, Cora! He was supposed to be marrying Cora! What the hell was he going to say to Cora? Was he seriously considering leaving Cora at the altar for Belle? He was a terrible person. He loved Cora. He’d given up on Belle and fallen in love with Cora. That’s why he was marrying Cora. Not Belle. Cora.

His mind was running a mile a minute and he was struggling to catch up. She was still standing there looking beautiful and terrified and there were tears in her eyes and he wanted to make them stop but he had no idea what to say.

“Oh my God, you don’t feel the same way,” she blurted out. “I’m Julia Roberts in My Best Friend’s Wedding and you’re Dermot Mulroney and I’m awful and I just ruined your wedding.”

“No, no,” he tried to interrupt but she just kept babbling.

“My speech wasn’t even as good as hers,” Belle continued. “And this isn’t a movie it’s real life and I should have kept my big mouth shut and I just ruined everything. Of course you’re happy. You’re getting married, you don’t get married because you’re unhappy, right? You get married because that’s the person you want to spend the rest of your life with and I’m the biggest idiot in the world…”

“Belle,” he said softly, but apparently it was too softly for her to hear.

“And you two are going to be so happy,” she was pacing across the floor of the dressing room now. “You’re great together and I’m a complete idiot who can’t compartmentalize right. I’m sorry. Just…pretend I didn’t say it. Pretend I didn’t say anything. I must be high on allergy medicine, or paint fumes, or…”

“No,” he finally said, reaching out and grabbing her arm to stop her pacing.

“No?”

“No,” he replied. “I’m not happy.”

“You’re not?”

Her voice was so small and hopeful and he hadn’t realized how much he meant the words until he said them, but no he wasn’t happy. How could he have ever thought he would be happy in a world where all hope of Belle had been lost?

“I can’t be happy without you,” he breathed, tilting her chin up and leaning closer. “I just hadn’t realized it until right now.”

“Oh,” she said with a little sigh and he was so close to her now he could feel her breath on his lips from that single syllable.

When had he gotten so close to her?

His lips were aching to touch hers – just a scant few inches separated them. It would take nothing at all to close that distance and have her in his arms and then…he would still be about to marry somebody else. Dammit.

“We can’t,” he said, stepping away all at once. She stumbled a little forward and he felt relieved that at least she had been as affected as he had. “At least not like this.”

“Right,” she said, shaking her head and putting her face in her palms. “I’m just…I don’t know.”

“I need to go talk to Cora,” he said, and she looked back at him with an expression on her face that was half hope and half utter shock. “If we’re going to do this, I want to do it right. And this isn’t the right way.”

“No,” she replied. “It’s really not. What…what should I do?”

He grinned, and reached out to touch her cheek one more time just to reassure himself this had been real.

“I think you should probably drive the getaway car,” he said. “I’ll meet you outside in twenty minutes? Assuming I’m not being murdered?”

“Twenty minutes,” she agreed, grabbing her purse off the side table before pausing and looking towards him. “You’re not going to change your mind?”

“I haven’t changed my mind since I’ve known you,” he replied. “I’m just finally now realizing that I couldn’t even when I tried.”


End file.
